How Do You Know You Have Water Intoxication?

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When it’s hot outside, we tend to consume more water than we normally do. Because we sweat more, we need more fluids to keep our body hydrated. And that’s because an adequate amount of water helps your body regulate body temperature, prevents constipation, removes toxic substances from the body, and provides a normal body functioning.

Many people consume more water than they should, especially those who exercise and who need to consume lots of fluids, or people with various health problems. Excess water consumption can be dangerous to the body. According to specialists, excessive hydration leads to water intoxication.

This happens when the amount of salt and electrolytes in the body is diluted. Hyponatremia is the disease that occurs when the level of salt in the body is extremely low. Moreover, if the electrolyte level drops suddenly, this can be fatal. Death due to over-hydration is rare, but possible.

Symptoms of water intoxication:

In the early stages, symptoms of water intoxication are not visible. When the disease progresses, you can face:

Types of water intoxication
There are two types of water intoxication:
1. Excessive water consumption: occurs when you drink more water than your kidneys can remove in the urine. This causes the collection of water in the cardiovascular system.
2. Water retention: occurs when the body cannot remove water properly and is caused by certain conditions.

Risk factors
Water intoxication is particularly common for performance athletes who drink huge amounts of water during exercise. Water intoxication is common among these people:
– marathoners and ultramarathonists;
– resistance cycles;
– rugby players
– soldiers doing daily training;
– triathletes;
– people with liver and kidney problems, but also those with heart problems.